Improvement in car-couplings



T. T. SHOTWELL.

Car-Couplings.

N0.153, 853. I Patented Aug.4,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

THEODORE T. SHOTWELL, OF ()SAGE, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 153,853, dated August 4, 1874; application filed March 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE T. SHOT- WELL, of Osage, in the county of Mitchell and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partly broken away; Fig. 3, a bottom view of draw-head.

The invention relates to means whereby great simplicity, efficiency, and economy are imparted to the ordinary car-coupling by dispensing entirely with the complication of parts now in use, and combining a coupling-pin and crank-shaft, so that the former is held up by a weight or spring, yields to the pressure of an incoming link, and rises to lock the link as soon as the latter has ceased to bear upon it. I thus produce a coupling automatic in admitting the link and in fastening it.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

A represents a car having the draw-bar B with the usual outwardlydiverging bufferhead I). O is a crank-shaft pivoted in, and transversely across, the draw-head, and provided with the arm 0, which serves as a couplingpin. When the arms 0 c of crank-shaft O are held down by a spring or weight, the pin is held up against the shoulders I) b on the inside of draw-head, thus preventing the possibility of escape to the link. D is :a rod having bifurcations d 01, one attached to each arm 0 of shaft, having the slots 61 d for the side levers E E, and the stops or notches (Z W, by which it is held in the narrowest part f of the eye F, that has a larger opening, f". The eye allows the coupling-pin to be held down, the side levers allow it to be forced down from either side of the truck, and the rod 1) permits it to be forced down from the truck or car. The vertical position of the rod D, and its connection with the arms 0 c of the crank-shaft 0, enables the pin to be locked simply by the gravity of this rod D.

So simple and inexpensive a car-coupling, and yet one which is so thoroughly and necessarily efficient, commends itself to the favorable consideration of the practical railroader, as well as the public.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The combination, in a car-coupling with crank-shaft (3 having arms 0 c, of the rod D having bifurcations d d, slits d d, and notches 01 (1 the side levers E E, and the eye F having two connected but difl'erent-sized openings, f f, all as and for the purpose specified.

THEODORE T. SHOTWELL.

Witnesses;

H. H. YAUNEY, J. 0. LEE. 

